Read/Write LibraryRead/Write Library

Mission Statement

Read/Write Library collects, preserves, and provides access to community media in order to inspire and promote diverse modes of cultural production and civic engagement. The Library recognizes the contributions that all community members make to co-c... Read more

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Mission Statement

Read/Write Library collects, preserves, and provides access to community media in order to inspire and promote diverse modes of cultural production and civic engagement. The Library recognizes the contributions that all community members make to co-creating a city and believes that learning to value these stories plays a vital role in building empathy, community pride, and the ability to see oneself as a change agent.

Description

Through Read/Write Library's public programs and free browsing hours, growing collection of over 5,000 publications, and open source catalog, we strive to raise the visibility of work produced by Chicagoans of all backgrounds to reveal connective threads across neighborhoods, generations, and cultures and to encourage inquiry into and ownership of the historical record.

We operate on a hub-and-spoke model with the vast majority of our activities and programs taking place at our public reading room in Humboldt Park. Read/Write Library frequently partners with other arts, education, and community organizations to bring our programs and Pop Up Libraries back out into Chicago’s neighborhoods at sites throughout the city